Detection and Isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Beef from Food Markets and Fecal Samples of Dairy Calves in the Peruvian Central Highlands

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a food and waterborne pathogen with severe public health implications. We report the first-time isolation of this pathogen in the Central Highlands of Peru through standardized culture procedures and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Escherichia coli strains were cultured from rectal-anal swabs from dairy calves and beef from food markets. The latex agglutination test was used to detect O157 and H7 antigens, and multiplex real-time PCR was carried out to detect virulence-related genes. The STEC O157:H7 strains were isolated from 3.5% (1/28) of beef samples and from 6.0% (3/50) of dairy calves that also carried both eaeA and stx1 genes. Therefore, this pathogen is a potential cause of food/waterborne disease in the region, and its surveillance in both livestock and their products should be improved to characterize the impact of its zoonotic transmission. From 2010 to 2020, E. coli was suspected in 10 outbreaks reported to the Peruvian Ministry of Health. Isolates from future outbreaks should be characterized to assess the burden posed by STEC O157:H7 in Peru.

AB0736 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ERYTHROCYTE DISTRIBUTION WIDTH AND SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS-ASSOCIATED INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE

Background

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) account for 60% of deaths related to scleroderma (SSc). The erythrocyte distribution width (RDW) has been used as a marker of poor prognosis in different pathologies. In SSc, RDW has been found to be elevated in PAH and has been proposed as a predictor of cardiorespiratory compromise.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between increased RDW and the presence of EPI in patients with SSc.

Methods

This is a multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients diagnosed with SSc (ACR/EULAR 2013) from January 2011 to August 2021. Other concomitant autoimmune diseases, malignancy, active infections, iron-deficiency or pernicious anaemia and transfused patients were excluded. The diagnosis of PID was made by high-resolution computed tomography (HR-CT) and the extension evaluated by Goh criteria. A review of medical records was conducted, collecting clinical and demographic characteristics, interstitial pattern by HR-CT, assessed, acute phase reactants, capillaroscopy, functional respiratory tests (PFT) and echocardiographic resolution. Patients diagnosed with PAH by right heart catheterization were not excluded in this study but recorded.

Results

Seventy-five patients were included, with a mean age of 59.4 (SD 14.1 CI95% 56-6), from which 67 (89%) were women. A median of 8 years of disease evolution was observed RIC 8). Limited SS was observed in 50 (66%) and diffuse SS in 24 (32%). EPI was observed in 50 (66%) of which NSIP 25 (33%), NSIP-f 15 (20%) and UIP 10 (13%). The extension of the disease was limited in 25 (33%) and extensive in 19 (25%). Capillaroscopic findings were normal in 2 (3.4%), nonspecific in 1 (1.7%), early SD in 9 (15.3%), active SD in 22 (37.3%), and late SD in 25 (42.4%); in sixteen patients there was no capillaroscopy.

We observed an increase in RDW in the EPI group with a statistically significant difference OR 6.06 CI95% 2-17 (p 0.001).

The median RDW is higher in patients with ILD and PAH than in healthy people (p<0.0001).

We found a low negative correlation between RDW / FVC r (63) -.25 p 0.042 and RDW / FEV1 r (63) .30 p 0.015.

Conclusion

In the present study we have been able to evidence that there is a statistically significant relationship between the percentage of RDW and the presence of PID. When analysing the association between patients without pulmonary compromise, ILD and PAH and the percentage of RDW, we were able to find a statistically significant difference between the three groups. It is necessary to continue with studies with a larger number of patients to grant robustness to the results.

References

[1]Muangchan, et al: 15% rule in SSc. The Journal of Rheumatology 2013; 40; 9; doi:10.3899/jrheum.121380.

[2]Cottin and Brown. Interstitial lung disease associated with systemic sclerosis (Ssc-ILD) Respiratory Research (2019) 20:13

[3]Thayer, T. E. et al. Unbiased Phenome-wide Association Studies of Red Cell Distribution Width Identifies Key Associations with Pulmonary Hypertension. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. doi:10.1513/annalsats.201809-594oc.

[4]Zhao J,Mo H, Guo X,Wang Q, Xu D, Hou Y, Tian Z, Liu Y,Wang H, Lai J, Li M, ZengX (2018) Red blood cell distribution width as a related factor of pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis. Clin Rheumatol 37:979–985.

[5]Goh NSL, Desai SR, Veeraraghavan S, et al. Interstitial Lung Disease in Systemic Sclerosis: A Simple Staging System. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2008. June;177(11):1248–54.

[6]Hax V, Bredemeier M, Didonet Moro AL, et al. Clinical algorithms for the diagnosis and prognosis of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. 2017. October;47(2):228–34.

[7]Peralta S. Guías Argentinas De Consenso En Diagnóstico Y Tratamiento De La Hipertensión Pulmonar. Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología. Área de Consensos y Normas. Vol 85 Suplemento 3. Octubre 2017.

Acknowledgements

Participating centers

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

The alpaca (Vicugna pacos) as a natural intermediate host of Taenia omissa (Cestoda: Taeniidae)

Three metacestodes were collected from the mesentery and the surface of the liver of three adult alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in a slaughterhouse located in Puno, Peru. Various features of the metacestodes were observed for morphological identification. A molecular diagnosis was performed by PCR-based sequencing of mitochondrial genes of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1). All metacestodes were identified as Taenia omissa by morphology and molecular methods The isolates from alpacas showed significant sequence similarity with previously reported isolates of T. omissa (95.7-98.1% in cox1 and 94.6-95.1% in nad1). Our report is the first to detect T. omissa metacestodes in alpacas and to reveal that alpacas are natural intermediate hosts for this parasite.